The transition from teen heartthrob to matinee idol has been bumpy for Zac Efron. Watching him in movies like “The Paperboy” and “The Lucky One” is like watching your rudderless cousin flail in a series of dead-end jobs after college. You know the one we’re talking about? Your aunt says Dylan or Wally or whomever needs time to find his footing, that the right employer will bring out his potential.

Well, potential has an expiration date, and Efron is getting dangerously close to curdling.

That makes “At Any Price” an important film for the young man, but for Dennis Quaid. Do you realize that Quaid was in three of 2012’s lousiest movies: “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” “The Words,” and “Playing for Keeps”? He’s not to blame for their suckiness, but he needs a big screen hit. I don’t want to read on Deadline that he’s competing against William Devane for roles in TV movies to supplement his work on “Vegas.”

Here’s the trailer for “Any Any Price,” which opens in limited release on April 26th. Then, we’ll see if the encouraging blurbs are justified. Quaid and Efron better hope so.